Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland is an exquisite, gorgeous film about those who have fallen through the cracks in America’s hyperactive capitalist society and a quiet meditation on mortality and our connections with one another. Francis McDormand gives an astonishing performance, blending seamlessly with a cast of primarily non-traditional actors playing themselves, sharing their own stories of escaping crushing poverty or being driven to life on the road out of necessity and lack of work and opportunity back home. These monologues from people sharing their real-life experiences are some of the most moving, emotionally powerful moments in the film. Zhao matches these beats with moments of visual transcendence and wonder as her camera takes in the vast expanse of the American West, juxtaposed with the concrete images the poverty and hardship that comes with life in a van – whether that’s defecating into a bucket or the only source of heat coming from the soft blue glow of a propane stove. And while the film never pushes its message of politics, class, or the predations of capitalism, those concerns are never far from its mind. It’s a rich, masterful work from a filmmaker at the top of her craft and a performer who continues to excel in all she does. The film is deeply moving, reminding us of what it means to be connected to one another, wishing us well until we’re able to see each other “down the road” once again.
